


Give Up the Ghost

by Nadare



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst and Feels, Bisexuality, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Eventual Happy Ending, First Kiss, Getting to Know Each Other, Ghosts, M/M, One Shot, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:26:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25465468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadare/pseuds/Nadare
Summary: After getting struck by lightning and almost dying, Sanji discovers he can see ghosts. Or rather one ghost, a man named Zoro who drives him crazy in the best way possible. Can the pair reconcile their growing feelings before time runs out for them?
Relationships: Aka Ashi no Zeff | Red-Leg Zeff & Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 21
Kudos: 145





	Give Up the Ghost

_A/N: I meant this to be a short one-shot and it kind of spiraled out of control. Par for the course, I guess, these days. ^^;_

[Written on and off from 4-25-20 to 7-28-20]

* * *

**_“Give Up the Ghost"_ **

His quarry had run him ragged, dragging Zoro to three towns within the space of one day. With a bounty as high as his, Leland Ainsworth clearly had had practice in eluding capture. Still, Zoro was nothing if not determined. After putting in so much work already, if Ainsworth got away in the end, all his effort would come to naught.

“This guy come through here?” Zoro asked, holding up the wanted poster of Ainsworth towards a farmer whose work he had interrupted. The man squinted at it as he rubbed his chin, his eyes going wide in recognition a second later.

“Yeah, I saw him about an hour ago. He was in a terrible hurry.”

Zoro smirked. “I just bet he was.” Maybe Ainsworth was finally getting tired. “Which way did he go?”

The farmer pointed to the right. “There’s a cliff the other way so you’ll run into him eventually.”

Nodding, Zoro started on his way, stopping when he heard the farmer call out to him. “The right, sonny!”

He’d gone right, what the hell was the farmer on about? Wondering if he’d spent too much working underneath the sun, Zoro shook his head and continued onward. He refused to let Ainsworth escape again.

A sweet scent wafted across the air, Zoro looking up, his gaze catching on a row of large trees surrounding the path, the branches of which were strewn with round purple fruit. He hadn’t eaten since morning, his stomach beginning to rumble loudly.

Stepping forward, he reached out to pick the lowest hanging fruit. Zoro put weight on his front foot and blinked in confusion as he tipped forward, meeting air, the ground gone from under him.

The wind rushed past his ears, then- 

* * *

It’d been a long day, Sanji leaning against the railing, nursing a cigarette. In the distance, he could hear the rumble of thunder, distant lightning flashes slashing across the sky. It seemed a storm was imminent.

He took a drag, a cloud of smoke rising from him a moment later as a heavy raindrop fell from above. Soon dozens of others joined it, Sanji not minding as the downpour started to soak his clothes and hair. It had been so hot lately, the storm would help cool things down for a while.

The hair on the back of his neck and arms rose at attention, Sanji raising a brow in interest as he rested his hand on the railing, a sudden metallic taste bursting on his tongue.

Something boomed, whiteness blinding him, the sight of his cigarette burning down to ash in seconds odd. Sanji couldn’t move as every fiber of his being was razed, nerves screaming in agony, unable to do anything but endure the onslaught of an unstoppable force. A never-ending flow of invisible fire cascading through him.

Then as suddenly as it started, Sanji lost time, finding himself laying on his side, a dull ringing in his ears. Intense pain pulsed across his shoulder and back with every frenzied beat of his heart, Sanji trying to move and realizing he couldn’t feel anything below his waist.

Was this it?

He couldn’t seem to catch his breath, darkness closing in on the edges of Sanji’s vision. He could barely make out the shape of smoke above him and wondered where it was coming from since his cigarette was long dead.

 _Oh, it’s me,_ Sanji belatedly acknowledged as oblivion became his whole world.

_He was chasing down a pair of beautiful women who wore not a stitch of clothing on the beach, their pleasant merriment ringing in the air. They’d managed to escape Sanji’s grasp so far but they couldn’t run forever._

_The blond one abruptly halted, turning towards Sanji, her expression grave._

_“Please wake up, Eggplant.”_

_The manly voice that was so familiar to him shattered the dreamscape and…_

Sanji jerked upright, instantly yelling in pain, waves of agony shooting down his right side. It was all he could do to keep breathing, his hands fisting tightly until finally the sensations faded, becoming a dull ache instead.

A hand lightly touched his back on the left side and Sanji turned to its owner, Zeff’s face filled with concern and relief telling him all he needed to know.

Sanji felt wetness fill his eyes and scrambled to dry them off, mumbling, “Wha…”

“You were struck by lightning,” Zeff announced without preamble. “Patty found you outside stone dead, your clothes still smoking.”

He motioned to a pile of scorched cloth on top of the dresser across the room. “Luckily he’s a stubborn bastard and started CPR immediately after pulling you inside. Carne said it was a close thing, taking a few tries before you responded.”

His blood had gone cold at the thought of something as simple as lightning ending him. Sanji had thought it would be his short temper that did it, mouthing off to the wrong person at the wrong time.

It was hard to gather his thoughts, Sanji’s tongue slow to form words, which was frustrating as hell. 

“That’s twice now you’ve escaped certain death,” Zeff said with a proud smile. “Tough bastard.”

Sanji couldn’t help responding in kind. “L-learned from the best.” There was a swath of white bandages running from his right shoulder down to Sanji’s hip, a pair of drawstring pants on his lower half. He remembered not being able to move after…everything and nearly cried again when he found he could wiggle his toes.

The bruises on his upper chest made more sense if Patty had done CPR on him. Sanji would have to find a way to thank him without making it obvious, the two butting heads more often than not.

Zeff fingered the sheets hanging off the edge of the bed. “The doctor said you’ve got second-degree burns, which will take a while to heal. There might be other side effects too but we won’t know until later.”

This was nothing, Sanji had come back from worse. 

“Well, you should rest,” Zeff said after getting to his feet. “Consider yourself on leave until further notice.”

Very carefully, Sanji laid back, gritting his teeth the whole time. Everything hurt. Going back to the oblivion of sleep sounded great.

He’d just closed his eyes when he heard Zeff whisper before leaving his room, “I’m glad you’re all right.”

* * *

It’d been two full days of bed rest and if Sanji had to lay there another minute he’d go crazy.

With effort he sat up, mentally telling his body to fuck off when pain flared across his right side. It was old news and Sanji did his best to ignore it as he stood up, gradually crossing the room towards the bathroom.

The tile was cold on his bare feet, Sanji immediately checking out his reflection in the mirror. He looked pale with bags under his eyes, though he’d done nothing but sleep lately.

Peeking out from the trail of gauze on his chest was a light brown branching tree pattern, detailing some of the veins that laid beneath the surface of his skin.

His curiosity piqued, Sanji undid the tape holding the gauze in place and gently peeled it off. Moist white pads hid most of the damage which ran in a wide jagged line.

Sanji picked at one and stared at what lay beneath it. The skin was red, wet, and had small blisters. He touched one and instantly regretted it, letting out a pained groan as he leaned forward, clutching the edge of the counter.

“Idiot,” Sanji snarled at himself, letting out a deep breath when he could think again. In time he’d carefully removed all the pads, seeing the damage in its entirety. From his shoulder to the top part of his right hip was five to six inches of what seemed to be a mostly superficial burn. 

All things considered, it could have been much worse. The top of his hand was red as well but as far as Sanji could tell, it was still functional since he could move the fingers and everything.

If the lightning had picked a different path, say went straight into Sanji’s brain…

He shuddered thinking of the mere possibility.

After downing more pain relievers and giving himself a short sponge bath, Sanji applied new bandages and a crap ton of ointment, using the mirror as a guide for the more awkward areas.

By the end of his endeavors, he was exhausted, all his energy spent. Maybe more time in bed wouldn’t kill Sanji after all. 

* * *

He was entrenched in darkness, entirely weightless, a disturbing lack of any concrete detail in his surroundings. Zoro reached out for any kind of foothold and discovered nothing, his fingers and feet apparently floating in midair.

Time was difficult to place, he couldn’t remember if he'd been there hours or days. Zoro wasn't even sure if he was moving or standing still, his senses warped to all hell.

He tried to remember what he'd been doing, how he'd come to be here, but as soon as Zoro began to put the thought together in his head it escaped his grasp altogether.

It was just him and this place. Nothing more.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash in the black surrounding Zoro, startling him. Seeing numerous spots in his vision, he squinted, unable to tell if he was close to the area it came from or not.

The light came again, this time lasting longer, Zoro making out the shape of a figure before it faded. Poised to move, as much as he could anyway in his condition, Zoro waited for it to make another appearance.

When it did, Zoro raced forward, amazed when he could make out the edges of his fingers for a second as they skirted the light. He brushed against it, the human shape freezing in place, the light it was composed of slowly intensifying until Zoro had to cover his eyes else go blind.

Heat began to build beneath his skin, bringing with it all his senses which he'd long thought were dead. The need for air consumed his being and Zoro took a deep breath, dimly aware of the ground breaking up under his feet.

He fell, not knowing where he would end up.

* * *

“Sanji, you don’t have to come back to work so soon,” Patty said, glancing over his shoulder when Sanji entered the double doors into the kitchen. His coworker’s gaze lingered on Sanji’s exposed hand where pinkish scar tissue sat, proof of his recent accident with mother nature.

Sanji shook his head, moving his right hand behind his back. “If I have to sit around doing nothing one more day…”

“Zeff won’t like it.”

“Well, he can go fuc-“

Someone cleared their throat behind him. “You shouldn’t be back here, Eggplant.”

A shiver going down his spine, Sanji turned to face Zeff, narrowing his eyes. Despite having known his father for years and respecting the hell of him, Sanji still hated his overprotective streak at times. He was 18 and not a little kid anymore.

Sanji stood up straighter, trying to prove his point visually. “I’m fine.”

Gently grasping his left arm, Zeff pulled him out of the kitchen into the main dining area of the restaurant where a few cooks were retrieving dirty tablecloths. They took one look at Zeff and Sanji and headed to the back into the restaurant, leaving the pair alone.

“You were struck by lightning, Sanji. You seem all right, but looks are deceiving,” Zeff said. “The same thing happened to one of my crew once and he was never the same. Poor guy could barely string two sentences together for years afterward.“

Sanji bit his lip, crossing his arms over his chest. “Just one more day so we know you’re definitely okay.” Zeff patted his shoulder, the clear concern in his eyes enough to convince Sanji he might have a point. “For me, all right?”

It was no fair pulling out the parental card. Zeff must have really been desperate.

His arms dropping to his side, Sanji eyed the man in front of him. “Then you’ll let me back in the kitchen?”

“Yep.”

“Okay then,” Sanji agreed. “It’s a deal.”

* * *

There was a frenzy of activity around him as Zoro opened his eyes. Varied loud conversations, clinking metal, and chewing noises assaulted his ears as he appeared to be standing in the middle of a busy restaurant. Confused, Zoro took in the colorful walls and the rather rough-looking wait staff.

One started towards him and Zoro raised a hand to get his attention. “Hey, can yo-“

He paid no attention, a shudder racking Zoro’s spine as the waiter’s features assaulted his vision, looming larger and larger until they appeared to pass right through him, the waiter continuing on his way, unaware of the impossible thing he’d just done. 

Frozen in place, Zoro blinked, trying to understand what had happened. Neither of them had moved, yet there had been no collision. His breath beginning to quicken in panic, he reached out for the table nearest him and stared as his hand went smoky around the edges, slipping through the wooden table.

Repeating the act yielded the same result and Zoro rocked back on his heels, desperately wanting an explanation that didn’t mean he was dead.

Because he couldn’t be. Zoro had things to do like…wait, what had he been doing before? How had he gotten here? He surveyed his surroundings and couldn’t find anything familiar, even the people were strangers.

Mutely, he moved past the tables, brushing in and out of people who were completely oblivious to his presence. The doors outside were no impediment, Zoro coming to an outside railing that ran alongside the entire building, which turned out to be a large ship.

It was a bright sunny day, a breeze ruffling the waves of water around him. Zoro thought it was strange he was at sea, then wondered why exactly. In this world, you were either on land or at sea. There was no middle ground.

Curious, Zoro walked forward and stretched out a hand. He stared when it bounced off some invisible barrier. Moving closer, using both hands now, Zoro put all his strength into it and pushed as hard as he could to no avail.

The barrier had weight and substance and was absolutely blocking his way. Even if he’d wanted to leave, Zoro couldn’t. For whatever reason, he was trapped.

“Well, shit.”

* * *

**Two Weeks Later…**

Though he wanted to believe Zeff’s concerns over him were unfounded, it became readily apparent that Sanji had difficulty staying asleep for long periods of time and suffered bouts of head pain on and off. The first was a bitch and made him more irritable than usual, and the second forced Sanji to take breaks from the kitchen to get away from all the inherent noise of such an environment.

It was during the end of a day of being run ragged that Sanji was helping Patty load up dirty dishes onto a rolling cart when he noticed movement at a table in the far corner. Someone with short green hair was standing over it, their back to them. 

“I thought we closed the restaurant,” Sanji said, eyeing the stranger with curiosity. As good as the food was, it wasn’t worth staying behind after closing time to intimidate the staff. Not when most of them came from rough backgrounds and could more than hold their own in a fight. 

Shooting him a confused look as he placed glasses on the second row of the cart, Patty raised an eyebrow. “We have.”

Scoffing, Sanji put down the silverware he’d been holding and pointed out the person. “Then who’s that?”

Patty scanned the restaurant briefly, turning back to Sanji with a blank look. “There’s no one here, Sanji.”

“But...” Sanji looked again and the stranger was gone as if he had never been. Not even the tablecloth he'd been touching left a trace of his presence.

The cart rolled onward as Patty moved to the next table. “You sure you’re all right?” he asked, an air of doubt in his voice. Sanji could practically see him mentally preparing a statement to Zeff about his odd behavior.

Maybe he _was_ seeing things. Sanji shook his head, deciding the subject wasn’t worth perusing further. Not when Patty was looking at him like that.

“Never mind,” Sanji replied, not willing to put in the effort of worrying about it. He caught up to Patty and started to collect the items on the top of the table. “Let’s just get this done.”

“Right.” 

* * *

“Man, the service here sucks.”

Sanji stilled, his hackles instantly up at the mere suggestion that anyone at the Baratie was taking their job less than seriously.

He turned to face the person who'd uttered the ridiculous statement, his brow knitting in annoyance. It was the same man he'd seen in the restaurant after hours who somehow disappeared when Sanji wasn't looking.

Gritting his teeth, Sanji wondered why the guy had such a beef with the place. “What exactly seems to be the problem, _sir_?” He all but sneered the last word.

Dark eyes stared at him, seeming dumbfounded at the attention Sanji paid him. “You can see me?”

Oh, great, not only was the man rude but he was an idiot. “You are occupying space, are you not? Of course I can.”

The man’s brow furrowed in confusion before he admitted, “You're the only person here who has spoken to me. Everyone else looks right past me.”

It was an odd statement to make in a crowded bustling restaurant, but on days like this when everyone and their brother were here, Sanji supposed it was easy to overlook the quieter tables sometimes.

“Well, it’s your lucky day then,” Sanji replied shortly, thinking the man’s rude attitude had likely turned everyone else off. “What do you want?” Though the customer was nearly always right, Sanji's patience was not limitless and he wanted to move onto another table.

His response was short and to the point. “Liquor.” The one word, nothing else.

It was a simple enough request. “Coming right up.”

Sanji headed up to the kitchen, veering to the right where they kept all the liquor. If the man wanted some but had been stupid enough not to specify anything, he’d be getting liquor of the most expensive variety.

He perused their selection, going on his tiptoes to grab a bottle of black barrel rum that had been aged ten years from the top shelf. It was more on the sweet side with notes of spice, vanilla, and caramel, yet went down smoother than silk. “Perfect.”

“Where are you going with that?” Carne asked Sanji as he descended down to the restaurant with the liquor bottle in hand, as well as a glass he’d picked up on the journey back. 

Sanji resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m going to serve it to a customer, aren’t I?”

“Which one? Barring a few outstanding dessert orders, everyone’s already been served.”

“It’s for table 15 in the corner,” Sanji said, Carne following on his heels, setting his jaw in anger as he looked out over the floor through the door’s porthole.

The green-haired guy was gone. Again.

“That son of a bitch.”

Carne examined Sanji closely. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine!” If anyone else asked Sanji again, he'd kick them so fast they'd spin.

* * *

From then on, Sanji was on constant lookout for the man, intent on proving he hadn’t been seeing things after all. Luckily, his green hair wasn’t a very common shade and Sanji only made a few mistakes confronting strangers who bore a passing resemblance to his prey before his diligence finally paid off.

It had taken a week, Sanji on his way out of the restaurant long after it had closed when he saw a familiar head of green hair pass by the ship railing on his left. What he was doing there at that time of night never occurred to Sanji to ask.

Grinning, Sanji raced to catch up to him, shortly approaching the man from the back. He speculated if the man was homeless or something since he was wearing the exact same outfit as the last time Sanji had seen him.

“Gotcha,” Sanji said with triumph as his hand descended onto the man's shoulder, staring in confusion when it fell right through like so much smoke. Thinking he’d missed somehow, Sanji gamely tried again, the man turning towards him as Sanji tried to touch him a third time without success.

It was as if there was nothing but air before him, which was impossible. The guy was right there, right down to his stupid haramaki and marimo haircut. “What the fuck?”

“If even you can’t touch me, I guess that proves it then.”

Sanji rubbed his forehead, wondering if this was yet another damn side effect from the lightning strike. No one had said anything about grumpy-ass auditory and visual hallucinations though. Maybe he had finally gone insane.

He hesitated to encourage the craziness but had to ask out of outright curiosity. “Proves what?”

“That I'm dead.”

Sanji dropped his hand, peering at the guy standing in front of him closely. “You’re what?”

The man snickered. “Dead,” he started snidely. “No longer among the living, deceased, kicked the bucke-“

“I got it, thanks,” Sanji snarled, wishing his first self-proclaimed ghost hadn't been so damn infuriating. “So what are you doing here?” He stopped him before he could reply. “And what the hell is your name?”

At that, the man smiled, showing the first hint of friendliness towards Sanji. “Roronoa Zoro.”

“The Pirate Hunter?” He’d heard a few pirate crews complain about him in the past, picking off their members one by one. By all accounts, an unrelenting force that never gave up. 

“You've heard of me,” Zoro responded proudly, his chest puffing out.

“It hasn't all been good,” Sanji said, the statement wiping the grin off Zoro's face. Truth be told, he hadn't heard much of anything else beyond the nickname and reputation. Goading Zoro was far too much fun though.

Scowling, Zoro crossed his arms, once again proving his prickly attitude. “And who _are_ you?”

“Sanji, just a chef.” He’d been more once upon a time, but those days were long gone and Sanji was fine with that.

Looking past the clear needling on Zoro’s part, Sanji decided to press the point while he could. “What's it like being a ghost?”

Zoro shrugged. “No one pays you the slightest bit of attention so you can eavesdrop to your heart's content. You can walk through walls. You never get thirsty or hungry, but goddamn is it boring.”

Sanji took a drag on his cigarette, giving the manner some thought. “What’s your unfinished business then?” He was pretty sure that was something every ghost had.

“Well, I was trying to become the greatest swordsman in the world.”

Sanji automatically shook his head. “I’m not doing that,” he said quickly. “I only cut food, thanks.”

“Then you’re never getting rid of me,” Zoro said flatly.

Confused, Sanji tilted his head. “But you aren’t here all the time, I’d have noticed. Where do you go?”

“I don’t know.” Zoro sounded lost for the moment, his brow furrowed in thought. “I'm there and then not. When I can think again, I see you like a flame in the darkness and I have to come.”

Despite the sentiment behind the words, Sanji couldn't help chuckling. “You're like a moth.”

“I am not,” Zoro shot off, sounding offended.

He wasn't sure why Zoro bothered with him. It wasn't like Sanji could do anything to help. What was dead was dead, right? As far as he knew, magic didn’t exist in the world. There was no easy quick fix for him.

“So why are you so screwed up?” Zoro asked with all the subtlety of a raging bull.

Sanji narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”

“How come you can see me?” he asked, drawing his words out like Sanji couldn't understand English.

Sanji had an idea as to the reason but wasn't sure if he was right or not. He raised his shirt, exposing the burn scar on the right side of his body.

“A while back, I got hit by lightning. My heart actually stopped for a few minutes. I guess…seeing beyond the veil is one of the side effects.”

“Near-death experience, huh? Interesting.” Zoro suddenly pressed closer to Sanji. “Am I your first?”

Sanji leaned against the railing, looking out at the dark sky. He glanced at Zoro and noticed he was faintly illuminated, something of a tarnished aura around him.

“Not that I’ve noticed, but it’s not like I’ve been looking for ghosts either.”

“Huh,” Zoro replied quietly. “Considering how abrasive you are, maybe it's a good thing you haven’t been able to comfort anyone else.”

Sanji spun to fully face Zoro, fully intending on blasting him, yet exasperated when the target of his scorn had faded away.

He blew out a breath. “Stop doing that, asshole.” It made trading barbs so difficult.

* * *

“And stay out!” Sanji said, kicking a would-be customer out of the restaurant doors who'd only taken a few bites, declared it subpar fare, and had fully intended to dump his meal into the trash.

Nothing on their menu was bad, Zeff holding all the Baratie chefs to a higher standard, always pushing them to better themselves every day. It made the restaurant a challenging, yet immensely satisfying work environment.

Something shimmered into existence as the man got to his feet, rubbing his hip and back. “I'll ruin you bastards, just watch me.”

Sanji crossed his arms over his chest, silently hoping the guy would try to rush him so he could vent some more frustration. “You can try, but no one’s managed it yet.”

The man grumbled underneath his breath, hastily boarding a small vessel that must have been his ride to the restaurant. The wind was strong, whipping at the ship's sails in no time, carrying the jerk far away over the horizon.

“Well, remind me not to get on your bad side.”

Sanji rolled his eyes over to Zoro who was standing near the railing. “I hate seeing people waste food. Nothing pisses me off faster.” He walked up beside him, looking out over the ships docked up beside the restaurant. There were a few marine ones towards the right, which reminded Sanji of something he’d wanted to ask Zoro once he showed his face again.

“What did you do when you weren’t kicking ass and taking bad little pirates back to the authorities?”

Zoro rotated his shoulder, making Sanji curious if he could grow sore or not in his ghostly form. “Sleeping, drinking, and eating mostly.”

Sanji chuckled, putting his head to the side. “Sounds like a cat.”

“Shut up.”

He mimed lifting a glass to his mouth. “Does it bug you that you can't indulge anymore?”

Zoro scoffed. “The only good thing about being what I am is I’m never for want of anything, but I’d give that up in a second for a single drop of ale.”

“Hmm, remind me to never die then,” Sanji quipped. “Or at least have the good sense to move on.”

“It's not like I planned it,” Zoro snarled. “I mean you go through life thinking death will never touch you until suddenly it does and there’s so much stuff you realize you haven't done yet. It's not fair.”

Thinking back to the deserted island he'd been trapped on with Zeff years ago, Sanji nodded. “Nothing about living is easy. You tend to forget that when nothing but good happens and then reality comes down on you like a hammer and you're starving to death at ten years old.”

Zoro watched him for a moment. “Speaking from experience there?”

He hadn’t meant to reveal anything about himself, something about Zoro’s presence making it easy to confide in him. Maybe because Sanji knew Zoro wouldn’t be blabbing to anyone else.

“Yeah,” Sanji replied, starting in on another cigarette, thinking the subject warranted it. “Nothing makes you appreciate food more than the complete lack of it.”

Leaning forward, Zoro asked, “How old are you?”

“18.”

“Huh, me too.”

It was a sucky age to die at when most people had merely started out on their own. Having to stagnate with everything left unfinished, especially his dreams, would have driven Sanji crazy.

He hesitated to remind Zoro, but he was too damned curious for his own good. “Why did you want to become the best swordsman in the world anyway?”

For a moment he thought Zoro would ignore him, then, “It wasn’t just my dream I was carrying on my shoulders,” Zoro muttered, Sanji glancing at him. “She was counting on me and I failed her.”

The look of pain on Zoro’s features was palpable, Sanji fisting his free hand, wishing for the first time that he could touch him. If only to pat Zoro’s shoulder at the very least. Instead he could just use words, which were a miserable substitute, but it was all Sanji had.

“Did you do it on purpose?” From the sad tone in his voice, Sanji guessed the person Zoro mentioned was dead as well.

Zoro glanced sharply at him. “Of course not.”

“Then she should understand,” Sanji replied softly. “Unless she had an impossible personality.”

“I won’t deny Kuina had her moments, but no, she was brave and strong.” A soft smile slowly gathered on Zoro’s face. “I could never beat her no often I challenged her. If Kuina had lived on, I think that would probably never change.”

Yeah, Zoro had definitely liked her. If not romantically, then at least as a close friend. Sanji tried to picture the rough-looking guy in front of him as a kid and couldn’t help chuckling. 

“What?”

Sanji grinned at him. “And I thought I was girl crazy.”

Looking annoyed, Zoro blew out a heavy breath. “I’m not like you, fawning all over anyone with boobs.”

“Hey,” Sanji said, offended by Zoro’s implication. “I have the utmost respect for women.”

“Do you?”

Sanji didn’t really like the way Zoro was eyeing him, much less appreciated the less-than-favorable view Zoro held of him.

“What’s wrong with admiring the opposite sex when they can do things we can’t? I like to celebrate our differences and relish in them. If that comes off as overbearing for anyone, it only means my passion won’t be appreciated.”

Zoro watched him until one side of his mouth rose in amusement. “And what about men? Don’t we figure in at all?”

Going still briefly, Sanji wondered if they were still talking about the same thing anymore. The way Zoro had asked implied there was another meaning underneath his question.

Hesitant to admit it, yet not ashamed in the least, Sanji said, “Men are fine when the occasion calls for it, but I find women far more interesting creatures.”

Making an inquisitive sound, Zoro shrugged. “Alright,” he replied. “I never said your blind devotion to the fairer sex was a bad thing altogether.”

“Didn’t you?” Sanji questioned, annoyed at how easily Zoro could get under his skin.

“Don’t blame me for your own mental issues, Blondie,” Zoro shot off, his face scrunching up for a second as he yawned. “Anyway, it's nice to know you're willing to give other guys a chan-”

Sani had looked away for one second and sure enough, Zoro had blinked out again. He sighed to himself, finishing up his cigarette.

“It's just too bad ghosts don’t get the same consideration.”

* * *

“Why are you stuck here of all places?” Sanji asked. “It can’t be the restaurant or its history because it hasn’t existed that long.”

Zoro floated up into the air, taking a seat on top of the wine rack in the storage room. After a lot of practice, he’d learned that if he concentrated hard enough, he could at least interact with his environment a bit. Full-on bodily contact with other people was beyond him though.

Sanji looked up at him, a checklist in his hand momentarily forgotten. “Is it a member of the staff? Some of them are pretty old.”

Was he trying to imply a relation there? Sanji was barking up the wrong tree if he was. “No, I’ve seen them all and none of their faces ring a bell.”

“Hmm,” Sanji muttered, rising his list again, scanning the wine rack in front of him. “If it’s not the place or the people, maybe the Baratie was just random. Somewhere to dump you until the time is right. Or you need to learn a lesson or something.”

“I don’t think so,” Zoro replied, looking at the list in Sanji's hand closer. He was taking inventory, lines of different wines written on the sheet of paper with numbers next to them. “It’s not like I was a bad guy or anything, I hadn’t even done anything major with my life yet.”

The pen between Sanji’s fingers twitched back and forth. “True.”

“I vaguely recall…some type of void before here. Time was-” Zoro struggled to define it, wishing he could remember more about the experience. “Fluid, I guess. I don’t know how long I was there really.”

He sighed. “Maybe it’s not so much the present that matters. Maybe I’m meant to know something here, some lost opportunity I would have encountered in the future had I lived.”

Sanji was studying him, silent for a few seconds. “That sort of implies that it’s not chance I can see you. That it’s fate.”

“If we follow that line of logic, that means it’s you I’m here for.” The implications were starting to make Zoro’s head ache. “Or the other way around.” He shook his head, outright dismissing the possibility. “Never mind, that’s nonsense.”

There was something in Sanji’s gaze that Zoro couldn’t identity before it was gone, lost in the cook’s easy smile. “Yeah, crazy talk.”

Even with that said, Zoro couldn’t help but feel he’d had something there, some kernel of truth in all the foolishness.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway,” Sanji said. “You’re not going anywhere despite how much I want you to at times.”

Zoro smirked. “Nope.”

“Lucky me,” Sanji said, rolling his eyes.

Laughing, Zoro thought there were worse places he could be. For all of Sanji’s many flaws, he’d never turned Zoro away or ignored his presence, even when pissed off with him.

He truly was thankful that with Sanji around, his days were never boring.

* * *

The sudden loud crack of thunder jerked Sanji out of a sound sleep, his gaze immediately going to his bedroom window where heavy rain fell against the pane. The storm must have been close because Sanji saw lightning flash in a matter of seconds, thunder sounding afterward.

Though it was a cold night, sweat began to form on Sanji’s brow as he brought his knees up to his chest, trying very hard to tell himself that he wasn’t bothered by the chaotic storm outside. It was a temporary thing that would pass through quickly if he was reading the intensity of it right.

He pressed his face against the top of his knees and about jumped out of his skin when upon lifting his head there was a face barely inches from his own. Luckily it was a familiar one, but that did nothing to soothe the panic that briefly gripped his body.

His heart pounding double-time, Sanji slowly recovered his breath, glaring outright at Zoro.

“If you did that on purpose…,” he threatened, glad he had his own room since explaining his odd behavior to a roommate would have been difficult.

Zoro sat back, looking like he thought he'd done nothing wrong, though Sanji thought he spied a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Sorry, I’d been here for a while already. Storm’s loud as hell, isn’t it?”

Had Zoro been watching him sleep? That was a little creepy. Still, it wasn’t like there was a whole lot in the way of activities for someone in Zoro’s position so Sanji could forgive the slight.

“I noticed, thanks,” Sanji snapped, reminding himself that shoving Zoro out of the room wasn't an option. Secretly, he was grateful he wasn't alone. It gave Sanji something else to concentrate on besides the storm.

One side of Zoro’s mouth quirked upwards. “I didn't know both your eyebrows had the same swirl, it's kind of cute.”

“Whatever.” He hid one of them on purpose, not wanting to be reminded of the family he'd left behind. “What're you doing here?”

“Well, you are the only thing I can talk to here.”

“'Thing?'” Sanji echoed with a raised eyebrow. “Thanks for the compliment.”

The room momentarily lit up with a lightning flash, raising goosebumps on Sanji’s arms. “You know, you went white as a sheet once you woke up. Why?”

Shaking his head, Sanji scoffed. “Call me crazy and all, but almost dying to this shit has given me a healthy distrust of it. I'm sure if you could remember what snatched your life away, you'd be the same.”

“I hope I went out hard,” Zoro said softly. “Really left an impression behind on whoever was there at the time.” He chuckled. “But maybe that's a little selfish.”

The next crack of thunder was further away, the rain lightening up a bit. “No,” Sanji replied, realizing in his own way Zoro had done exactly that, only in his afterlife. “No one wants to be forgotten. I think that’s just human nature.”

“Hmm, how do you want to go?” 

His answer was easy if a bit cliché, Sanji quick to respond with, “Surrounded by cool beauties who adore me.”

Zoro burst out laughing. “What, really?” he managed to say before snickering again.

Sanji supposed it probably was a ridiculous end and surprised himself by joining Zoro as he laughed, the leftover tension in his shoulders melting away.

In a small part of his mind, he hoped Zoro stuck around a while longer. Sanji was actually starting to enjoy his company a great deal.

* * *

Elbows deep into the soapy water in the sink, his hands scrubbing away at dirty pots and pans, Sanji glanced to his right when Zeff came up beside him.

He picked up a fork that had been washed earlier, pretending to inspect it as he announced, “A little birdie told me you’ve been talking to yourself lately.”

Sanji pondered which coworker had reported him, mentally promising to wreck all sorts of havoc on them if he ever found out who ratted him out. “Worried I’m losing it, old man?”

“Yes,” Zeff admitted gently, the show of vulnerability rare as he placed the fork back down on the steel counter, ending the pretense entirely.

The outright honesty on his father’s part was enough to make Sanji swallow the smart-ass reply he’d been preparing in advance. He felt paying the same respect back was the right thing to do.

He cleared his throat, uncomfortable admitting even part of the truth as he pulled his hands out of the warm water, a now clean frying pan in his grip. “It might look like it, but trust me when I swear to you that I’m not talking to myself.”

Looking puzzled, Zeff stared at him, making Sanji realize he’d have to elaborate further. “There are things around us that most people can’t see. I can, at least for now.”

Zeff motioned to Sanji's scarred right hand. “This have anything to do with that?”

Sanji nodded as Zeff blew out a breath in response.

“So you’re all right?” Zeff asked, suddenly finding something fascinating on the wall next to him. The awkwardness was kind of touching.

“I really am.”

Raising a hand, Zeff placed it on Sanji’s shoulder and squeezed once before letting go. “Good, that’s all I needed to know. I'll tell the boys to leave it be. Only be a little more discreet, yeah?”

Happy he hadn’t had to go into many details, Sanji muttered, “Okay.”

Zeff pushed off from the counter and walked off to another part of the kitchen to chastise someone else for leaving a burner on too high.

“Aww,” Zoro cooed from his position on the pile of dirty plates on the counter next to the sink. “That was sweet.”

Drying his arms off, Sanji curled his upper lip, staring at Zoro, daring him to say one more thing. “Shut. Up.”

Zoro shrugged, his eyes roving back towards Sanji. “Fine.” He smirked. “Daddy’s boy.”

Sanji tossed a soup ladle at Zoro, the object passing harmlessly through him to clatter to the counter as Zoro laughed.

Feeling eyes on him, Sanji whirred, facing the rest of the kitchen staff. “What?” he challenged, Zeff silently raising an eyebrow, yet saying nothing.

His face going slightly red, Sanji stalked out of the kitchen, hoping he’d get a few minutes peace before Zoro chased him down again. 

* * *

As had become their habit, Sanji sat before the railing, one cup of sake in his hand and another on the ground to his side. The gesture was meant to be respectful since Zoro couldn’t partake in the ritual himself.

Zoro was cross-legged next to him, surveying the clear blanket of stars laid out above them. “Long day?” he asked without looking at Sanji.

“Not more so than usual,” Sanji replied before sipping at his sake, the burn pleasant as it went down his throat. “Though there was one guy who brought the entire staff into hysterics.”

Zoro raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

He excitedly turned to Zoro. “It was a military party who reserved the restaurant. They ordered ceviche as their first course, and one of the lower-ranked guys stared into the bowl after it was brought to him until he finally lifted his hand up and complained the dish was cold. When a waiter stated it was intentional, he asked if it could be heated up.

“Ceviche never touches a frying pan, having already been cooked through by citrus juices so he was essentially asking us to overcook his meal. When the waiter explained that, he was mortified, his superiors looking none too impressed by his lack of knowledge.

“What made it worse was the guy tried to play it off like a joke, but he was a terrible liar. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t get far in his career if that’s how he handles unfamiliar situations.”

“Hmm, that reminds me of a bounty I caught one time,” Zoro said. “Dumbest guy I ever met. He actually thought he could turn himself in for his own bounty and pay me off. I have no idea how he managed to survive long in this world.”

“Wait, are you serious?”

Zoro was sniggering underneath his breath. “Yep.”

Sanji shook his head, amused at the idea of someone that stupid. “What an idiot. I suppose he thought the marines would just let him go?”

“Probably,” he replied. “He seemed shocked when that didn’t happen.”

For someone out and about in the world so young, Zoro had his fair share of stories. Despite the foolhardy way Zoro had done it, intent on challenging the greatest swordsman in the world, Sanji had to admit he admired his bravery and dedication.

Granted, Sanji had his own dreams to aspire to one day, but he couldn’t drop everything and go. Not like Zoro had.

“You’re looking unusually serious.”

Fiddling with a cigarette, Sanji glanced at Zoro. “Just thinking about how fundamentally different we are.” The lighter struck home, Sanji taking a long satisfying drag. “I mean, you're a fool, but you stay true to yourself and don’t let anything hold you back, not even your own doubts.

“That's kind of nice. I wish I could be that oblivious to reality,” Sanji finished, noting that though he couldn’t smell it or directly affect the element, Zoro was waving his hand at the smoke like it bothered him.

Zoro pursed his lips. “I know there was a compliment in there somewhere, but I still feel like I've been insulted.”

Smirking, Sanji put down his cigarette for a moment. “Might as well take it in the spirit it was given then.”

“If I could touch you right now, I'd kick your ass.”

“Oh, yeah?” Sanji said, amused. “I doubt you could take me.”

“I definitely could,” Zoro insisted, staring Sanji down for emphasis as if he could make himself tangible if only he could gather together enough willpower.

The cigarette was almost halfway finished. “Shame we'll never find out who would come out on top.” He meant it too. With their very different fighting styles, Zoro might have given Sanji a run for his money. Maybe.

Zoro was silent for a few minutes, then muttered, “Another thing to regret.”

Sanji shifted towards him in lieu of touching the man next to him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make light of your situation.”

Shaking his head, Zoro smiled. “No worries. I've got no one to blame but myself…or whatever took me down.”

“Still can’t remember?”

“No,” Zoro replied, looking introspective. “It's one big blank spot in my memory. If I think about it long enough, my head starts to hurt.”

“That’s a neat trick for a ghost.”

“Right?” Zoro's sudden smile made Sanji's chest momentarily ache, wishing they'd met under better circumstances. All things considered, he was a nice guy despite antagonizing Sanji like hell sometimes.

If only things were different.

* * *

**The Next Evening…**

Zoro suddenly grunted in mid-story, pressing a hand to his midsection.

“What's wrong?” Sanji asked, questioning if this was some new way of irritating him.

Frowning, Zoro rubbed his stomach. “I don’t know, there was this ache in my gut.”

“Something you ate?” Sanji teased, a trickle of unease blooming in him when Zoro looked at him, looking grave. “Okay, fine, I agree it wasn’t that funny.”

“Cook, I think maybe…this is-" Zoro doubled over, his features wracked with pain.

Sanji dropped his cup, wishing he could do more than watch helplessly at the scene in front of him. “This is what?”

The hand on Zoro's side began growing thin, Sanji able to see through it in seconds. His arm shortly followed. Usually, when he disappeared and Sanji was there to observe the phenomenon, Zoro faded fast like a broken lightbulb. This, on the other hand, was slow and looked agonizing.

“Are you doing that on purpose?” Sanji asked, hearing fear and worry in his voice. They'd joked about him moving on for weeks, never thinking that it might eventually happen.

Zoro dropped to his knees, his right leg completely disappearing. “No.” The terror in his face was obvious.

Though he'd hated Zoro at first for his mule-headed tough-guy persona, Sanji had quickly learned that beyond Zoro's rough features was a nice guy who had a wicked sense of humor and an even greater sense of right and wrong.

Suddenly facing Zoro's loss was a prospect Sanji found hard to stomach.

His blood going cold, Sanji tried to touch Zoro and as usual couldn’t make contact. The frustration that arose was immense. All he wanted to do was provide some, any, comfort, during the trying process.

Zoro's entire bottom half had dissipated, panic in what remained of his body. Still, he tried to look tough as his left arm was the next to go. “I bet you're glad to finally be rid of me, huh?”

“No,” Sanji said quickly, feeling his eyes begin to ache. The process was taking out Zoro's upper chest now, leaving him a floating head and shoulders. “You weren’t bad company sometimes.”

Zoro moved awkwardly until he was facing Sanji head-on, the eye contact between them intense. He would have laughed at the image of Zoro's disembodied head if the situation wasn’t breaking his heart.

“Thanks for that,” Zoro said, a heat building in his eyes. “And everything else. I would have probably gone insane without you.”

Sanji’s throat clogged with words, realizing he hadn’t exchanged enough of them with Zoro. Not by a long shot. “Zoro, I hope you go somewhere nice.”

“Nicer than here?” Zoro jibed lightly. “Gotta be.”

His mouth was almost gone, Sanji's own twisting in a grimace, cursing his inability to do something. Anything.

“Marimo.”

“Blondi-"

And then Zoro was just gone, leaving behind a dreadful feeling of finality.

Telling himself the wetness that slid down his cheeks was borne out of anger and frustration at his sense of inadequacy, Sanji downed the remainder of the sake bottle in record time, embracing the pleasant numbness as it spread throughout his body.

Zoro’s presence on the Baratie might have been unexpected, stretching the borders of Sanji’s world to the breaking point, but he knew it would be a long time before he was able to forget Zoro.

* * *

**One Year Later…**

Sanji shook off the disagreement with Zeff and reset the table, focusing on the orange-haired beauty who had been sitting there. He grabbed a passing dessert off a tray and served it to her with a flourish.

“Here's a…”

Sanji stopped, his gaze landing on a familiar figure across the table. One that had haunted his dreams for months after he'd dissipated in the air.

“Why's he staring at you, Zoro?”

He seized on those words, at the implication behind them, on the fact that the self-professed ghost could be seen by other people.

Sanji abandoned his place near Nami's shoulder and crossed to the other side of the table, looking down at Zoro with disdain. His hands closed at his sides, never wanting to punch someone as much as he did at that moment.

“You bastard.”

Seizing Zoro's collar, confirming he could be touched all right, Sanji all but dragged Zoro outside where he tossed the man into the side of the ship’s railing.

Sprawled out on the deck, Zoro rubbed the back of his neck, groaning. “What the hell? That hurts.”

“It fucking better,” Sanji snarled, not caring if any passing customers thought he was bullying someone. Zeff wouldn't like it once it got back to him, but it would just be another thing to butt heads over, which was a common occurrence these days.

“And here I thought you'd be glad to see me,” Zoro replied, getting back up to his feet.

“Glad?” Sanji echoed, stepping closer to Zoro. He was practically nose to nose with him now. “You literally disappeared on me. I thought you were dead.” He poked a finger into Zoro's chest. “I goddamned mourned you.”

Zoro's brow eased, a questioning expression coming over him. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Sanji replied snidely, wondering if Zoro knew how much it had hurt to see him go in so dramatic a fashion that suddenly. “What the hell happened back then?”

Taking a step to the side to avoid the smoke Sanji exhaled in his direction, Zoro shrugged casually. “Turns out I was in a coma. I’d fallen off a short cliff face and hit my head. I woke up in my body in some hospital half a world away. Took a while to get back on my feet.”

Sanji rubbed his head, trying to ward off a fast-approaching headache. “Let me get this straight,” he started. “You weren't dead, but having a prolonged out-of-body-experience?”

“Yep, that’s about the size of it.”

Pursing his lips after finishing his cigarette, Sanji felt his temper flare to life again. He took a deep breath, barely holding it back. “Did it ever occur to you that _maybe_ I would have wanted to know you were okay?”

For the first time since their reunion, Zoro looked serious. “A lot of stuff got hazy after I woke up. Hell, I was convinced I dreamed the whole thing until me and my crew happened upon this place.”

“You…” Sanji sighed, suddenly tired. “You could have sought me out earlier instead of giving me a heart attack.” He'd barely been reunited with Zoro for five minutes and already he was exasperated with him. 

“And miss out on the look on your face when you finally laid eyes on me? No thanks.”

“Bastard,” Sanji replied, the beginnings of a smile forming on his mouth.

Zoro smirked. “Asshole.”

Leaning closer, Zoro pressed his forehead against Sanji's. It was a warm light touch and Sanji felt heat creep into his face. It figured he’d push things after meeting up again.

There was nowhere to hide from Zoro's gaze, from the knowledge that the longing and grief Sanji had felt when he thought Zoro had passed on meant he cared about the man opposite him. Probably too much for only really knowing him as a spirit.

And now he'd come back to haunt Sanji in the flesh, throwing his whole world off-balance.

Throwing caution to the wind, not willing to let Zoro slip away this time, Sanji was the one to close the distance between them, closing his eyes as he kissed Zoro, not at all surprised when he responded in kind, a thrill going up his spine at the novelty of it.

After all, it wasn't everyday one got to make out with a former ghost.


End file.
